The formation and use of consumable (e.g. absorbable) articles with plants, animals, or otherwise has been done in the past for providing nutrition, medication and other benefits. The ingredients of these articles may vary to correspond to the needs of the recipient. With the demand for consumable articles being so high, mass producing devices are often used. Such forming devices may comprise extruding devices, pellet mills, or the like, wherein large amounts of individual articles are formed in a relatively short period of time. However, in lower production applications it is also contemplated that other forming devices may be used as well.
Prior methods of forming articles, particularly pellet like articles, utilize starch for retention of the ingredients. The use of starch requires heat and pressure for retention of the ingredients. This is due to the fact that starch requires the use of heat and pressure to unravel the molecular strands of the starch and re-attaching the strands to each other or other ingredients of the articles.
Unfortunately, the use of heat for retention of the ingredients not only prolongs the time period for forming articles, but also uses unnecessary energy. Furthermore, the application of heat, at times, is destructive to some of the ingredients of the articles such as with certain medication, enzymes, vaccines, and growth promoters or otherwise. Accordingly, the use of heat increase production cost and limits the ability to form customized articles.
In another aspect, the use of starch as a retention agent has proven to be less than perfect, particularly as a retention ingredient of pellet articles, or the like. It has been found that using starch as a retention agent fails to maintain the integrity of the articles to a desired level. For example, with the use of starch as a retention agent there is expected a certain percentage of fines (e.g. article fragments) that are unusable. In view of these and other deficiencies in the use of starch as a retention agent, particularly with pellet articles, there is a need for a new retention agent for maintaining the ingredients of articles together without the necessary use of heat and pressure. Furthermore, there is a need for a new retention agent which results in reduced fines, smoother surfaces (e.g. less bridging) and moisture and/or water stability.